The uncomfortable side of pregnancy

So, everything so far has been pretty much rainbows and butterflies around here. I try and keep a positive attitude, because I know if you THINK you feel bad, guess what?!?! YOU FEEL BAD!!!

But time for some honesty. It isn't all kicks and somersaults and baby feet on ultrasounds. It is also heartburn, muscle soreness, fatigue, and pain. Today was one of those days. Oh, and worry. Can't forget the all encompassing worry.

At our last ultrasound Jackson was breech. This is totally normal at 21 weeks (I think 30% or something). It still causes worry. I want a completely natural child birth. This isn't possible with breech. Well, it is, but I'm not willing to risk it just to say I got my natural delivery. It means, for us, C-Section. Not at all what is in the plans (however much we CAN plan for delivery...). So I've been hoping and hoping he turns the last few weeks, and will continue to do so until our next ultrasound in about 3 weeks. Today, it certainly felt like SOMETHING was going on in there, and I hope it was a big ole flip. My lower abs are really sore, tons of pelvic pain (pubic symphysis dysfunction...something nobody tells you about until you have it...)...today was also the first day I felt like I had to sit down at work because I was uncomfortable standing. Now, I REALLY hope this is temporary, because I still have 17 weeks to go, too long for this business!!!

Also had a mild blood pressure hiccup at my last visit. Turned out to be nothing, but it was certainly a stressful 30 minutes for me. Let's hope that never happens again!!

Overall though, I am loving being pregnant. I get to bring my little buddy to work with me everyday, feel him moving around more and more (though he STILL goes quiet when I put a hand on my belly, so Kevin hasn't felt him yet!). I love having a belly, not having to worry about covering it up. I swear, being pregnant is one of the best things to happen to my body image in a long time. I'm finally PROUD of that bump!

Nursery is coming together...and by that I mean the room is now empty and clean and ready to be filled. We've decided not to paint or anything, and to just use wall art, etc to make the room what it is, and letting the kiddos choose what they want to decorate the room as when they're older and can pick paint colors, etc.

I have a baby shower for one of my best good friends this weekend, I'm SO excited. I'm so glad our babies will be close in age so they can play together as they grow up. I have a couple other pregnant friends too, so exciting! I think I'm the last one due of the group I know about, so I'll get to play with all their babies before it is my turn.

Despite my complaints this blog, I wouldn't trade this for the world. It is the most amazing thing I have ever done in my life, also the scariest, but it will be the most rewarding. Only 4 more months until we all get to meet this little guy.

What's going on in there anyway?

We're at 22 weeks. I'm feeling pretty good, probably the best I've felt all pregnancy at this point. I still have some aches and pains, mostly when moving around after sitting for awhile, or turning over in bed, but overall I'm doing really well. The little guy is moving around, some days more than others, and I've been able to feel him on the outside once or twice. He likes to hold still as soon as I put my hand on my belly, so catching him unaware is quite the feat.

So anyway, moving on, I thought it would be neat to share a website I found through one of my forums. It is an animated graphic of what is going on in there while the baby is growing. Pretty neat, and validates my feelings of heartburn, inability to breathe, and feeling full so fast!!

Check it out!

In other news, we did some major housecleaning last week (thanks Grammy, Papa, Chris and Heather!). We have a 4 bedroom house and somehow those other three bedrooms get filled with crap when they don't have another purpose. So since one of those rooms is now going to be occupied by Jackson, we need to make room for him! So our workout room is now the nursery, the guest room got an elliptical, and the office got some weights. Nothing is really organized yet, but things are moved, Jackson's room needs to get a good cleaning, then we can start moving things in there. I'm excited to see it all come together. Grandma Leslie sent us his crib mattress, and Aunt Heather and Uncle Chris are giving us their crib, so that is WAY helpful. My mom also did some great craigslist shopping so we have a bunch of other things we will need. Everything is coming together!! And I'm getting some great care packages from Stacey that Jackson is going to look so adorable in! Plus inheriting some clothes and things from Uncle Mike and Aunt Terra will also be a big help. It is amazing how generous people are when you have a baby on the way!

Hugs and love!!

It's A........

So we had our big Ultrasound on Friday, and we found out we are having a BOY!!!!!!! I couldn't be more thrilled. I was certain we were having a girl, so this was quite the shock, but I am so excited. I came from a family with an older brother, and LOVE it, I think I'll handle boys better, and we now have an heir to the Blunden name. Yay!! Everything else looked pretty good on the ultrasound, we go back in 6 weeks for another look to make sure things are progressing well.


FEET!!!!

Most of my co workers were convinced, as I was, that I was having a girl, so Monday will be a fun surprise. I made some cookies with cake balls in the middle, like this:

So that will be fun. If my co workers found this blog today, they deserve to know. I'll post this up to facebook tomorrow. :)

Our little guy is to be named Jackson Ellwood Blunden. Or Javier Ezekiel if you're my brother...ugh.

Things feel so much more real now that we know who this little person is growing inside me. He's been pretty quiet this weekend, maybe he is a little camera shy after his big reveal.


The belly seems to have slowed down in the last 3 weeks, which is good, because if I kept growing at that rate I would be convinced we had a hidden twin in there.

I've updated our registries a little since Friday, but we are still trying to be gender neutral since we aren't planning on stopping with just one little guy. We're registered at amazon.com and Wal-Mart (.com) if you're wondering.

I think that's it for now... :)

Halfway and Hand Me Downs

So today is the half way point. 20 weeks 0 days pregnant, 20 weeks 0 days to go!!! It has happened SO fast! The munchkin was moving around like crazy yesterday, I think baby enjoys car rides where mom isn't driving. So that was exciting to feel, because during the week I don't feel things nearly as often since I'm more active.



Here is the belly as of Friday (19w5d). Something is certain;y growing in there!!

Everything seems to be going great. I'm getting some pelvic aches and pains, which are totally normal, the trick is trying to figure out how to manage them. Nothing unbearable yet, and I hope it doesn't get that way.

As far as baby goes, the munchkin is weighing in at about 10.5 ounces, and 6.5 inches long...a cantaloupe! Tastebuds are developing so whatever I eat they can now taste through the amniotic fluid. Hearing is intact, so Kevin has been playing the Star Wars soundtrack for my belly and telling baby that Episodes 1-3 do not exist.

The big ultrasound is on Friday, so I'll have an exciting announcement after that!! Any guesses? I have a poll going at work, things are about even right now.

Other exciting news is that an OLD friend of mine that thanks to Facebook I've stayed in contact with recently offered up some of her baby stuff that she didn't need anymore, since her little girl is 3 and a half now. So yesterday Kevin and I drove down to Costa Mesa and picked up a TON of awesome stuff.


We got a glider, a bathtub, bath seat, high chair, two different activity tables, some pregnancy books, baby books, toys...just a ton of awesomely helpful things. I am so excited and thankful!!

That's it for today. More exciting stuff coming up soon!